Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by unregulated growth of predominantly myeloid cells and their accumulation in the bone marrow and peripheral blood. Generally, CML originates in hematopoietic stem cells (HSGs) with t(9;22)(q34;q11.2) translocation which produces BCR-ABL constitutively active kinase driving the expansion of leukemic progeny. The definitive cure of leukemia requires identification of novel therapeutic targets to eradicate leukemia stem cells (LSCS). However, rarity of LSCS within the pool of malignant cells remains major limiting factor for their study in humans.
Reprogramming somatic cells to pluripotency allows for generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which behave similar to embryonic stem cells (ESCs), i.e. they are capable of self-renewal, large scale expansion, and differentiation toward derivatives of all three germ layers, including blood. Because iPSCs capture the entire genome of diseased cell they may be used successfully to model human genetic diseases.